Treasure in the Graveyard by Roberto Pavanello illustrated by Blasco Pisapia

Echo, a mystery-writing bat, likes living in a cemetery because of all of the peace and quiet. Then one night he hears something suspicious... and before he knows it he's flying for his life! That's how he meets his three best friends: Becca, Michael, and Tyler. These three siblings each have special talents and abilities that will help Echo figure out what is going on in the cemetery...and how to stop whoever is behind it.

A graveyard is a great setting for a story. It has a certain creepiness while still being a believable place for kids to be able to visit. The chapters are a good length - not too long so as to scare readers off, but not too short that getting through the chapters isn't an accomplishment. The full-colour illustrations, many of them full-pages, also provide the book with a cartoon-like energy. This looks like it will be a good series for young readers who like mysteries in the Scooby Doo vein; look for these meddling kids to thwart one mystery after another (with the help of their new bat friend).

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Young Readers.


See more of Roberto Pavanello's work at his (Italian) website.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Katie Woo Rules the School by Fran Manushkin
Fangs! by Alan MacDonald
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Midnight Witches by Robert Pavanello